Equinox
by NiftyPseudonym
Summary: What if Bella isn't the first Swan girl that the Cullens met? In 1936 the Cullens came to Forks for the first time and that was when they met a young Helen Swan, Bella's grandmother. About 80 years later it's Bella's 18'th birthday and she's given a peculiar gift addressed from the deceased Nana Helen that might change her life.
1. First

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Twilight Saga that this fanfic is based on, it's the property of the clever Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N:** _Hello all you wonderful readers._

_I know, I know, I have been gone for what seems like ages but in reality it's two years; which also is hella long time._

_This time I'm back with an Edward fanfic, and no OC this time. Well, technically I had to make up two characters that aren't mentioned more than twice in the original story (Helen and Geoffrey Swan.)_

_I hope this will be just as well received as Crescent Sun (which I may or may not have a looksie at in the future and either re-write or continue where it left off.)_

_I'm honestly thrilled, nervous and excited to be back and I sincerely apologize for being absent for so long. I have a RP partner to thank for my newfound inspiration. You know who you are, my private "Bella"!_

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**Chapter 1: A Rare Gift**

Eighteen candles crammed on a regular eight inch single tier cake. They resembled every year I had survived in this world. This would be the last year my mother insisted on using the exact amount of birthday candles instead of buying those convenient number candles.

"You have plenty of time to grow up," she insisted again and again all the while it felt as if I had grown way too old already. I was done with growing, I wanted to stay this young for at least five years longer. If anything I wanted to shrink down and get covered by the pile of my clothes until tomorrow when it's just a regular Wednesday. Deep down I also knew that my mother thought that every bit of luck and magical wishes was more than necessary to keep me alive for another year. In other words; it was mandatory for me to blow out _all_ of the eighteen candles in _one_ single breath. With my misfortune and clumsiness getting worse with age it was a miracle I didn't have a single fracture or even a bandage on a day like today. My eighteenth birthday—the day I had both longed for and dreaded to come.

Our small kitchen was festooned with colorful balloons and garlands that spelled out 'Happy 18th Birthday' in gold letters.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, mom? I mean have you considered all the dangerous animals in Australia? And there are many other dangers that come with mountain climbing; you can have altitude sickness for example." It felt as if I was going over the list of dangers for at least the hundredth time. My attempts to stop her were futile since my mother's decision to climb that damn mountain was set in stone and nothing would seem scary enough to change her mind.

"I'll be just fine, sweetheart. We have safety gear and a guide," she affirmed with a considerate smile.

"Why Mnt. Warning? Couldn't you've picked a mountain with a less nerve wracking name?"

"It's the place in Australia where the rays of sunlight hits first. It's said to be magical! Are you sure you're not coming with me?" She pleaded again and I rolled my eyes at her pathetic excuse to risk her life.

"No, thank you! I'd love to see what those number candles will look like on my next birthday cake. Hopefully you'll be around to light it," I remarked with a little twinkle in my eye.

"I haven't made any promises, you might get individual candles until you're 20. A nice, even number."

"18 is an even number too?" I retorted but she shook her head in protest.

"Not as even as 20."

I looked at her with furrowed brows and what could only be defined as confused irritation.

"What?"

"You know what I mean," she said and waved me off just as the door bell rang.

"Saved by the bell," I joked as I started towards the door to greet my father who I knew was on the other side.

It was an awkward greeting followed by some small talk.

"Charlie, how was the drive?" Renée asked while filling up his cup with some steaming hot coffee.

"Long as usual," he gruffed and took his beverage before it reached the surface of the solid oak dining table and their hands met for only a second. Much could be analyzed in that short moment, like the way Charlie diverted his eyes in a flustered manner that indicated how much he still missed mom. Renée's eyes glazed over with sadness and the corners of her mouth dropped slightly by his touch since she wished things had been different. She never said it out loud but she had hoped that Charlie would've given the responsibility of taking care of his parents to someone else and lived his life with us while he could. Of course Charlie couldn't just leave his parents in a nursing home but responsibility had never been a trait my mom fully got the hang of.

"You drove here?" I asked once their moment was over. They both snapped out of their intertwined thoughts and looked at me with suspicious grins.

"Yup, he sure did. Time for cake," Renée answered hastily. She had changed the subject a bit too fast and I noticed something was off. They were hiding something but I decided not to dig any deeper until after eating the cake to keep things pleasant for a little while longer. Indulging in an eventless birthday celebrated with my parents as a birthday gift to myself, from myself.

Successfully I blew out all the eighteen candles and this year, just like all the other years; I wished for the tradition to end.

"This came in the mail for you this morning." Renée placed out a package on the table in front of me next to my blue polka dotted mug filled with tea and my plate with some scraped off peach colored sugar paste. The box only made a faint thud when it met the tabletop so it couldn't be very heavy and the brown wrapping paper crinkled as I gently stroke my fingers across it.

Both of my hands could cover up the package if I spread out my fingers, then I looked up at my mom curiously.

"Who's it from?"

She looked back at me blankly like a question mark.

"I don't know. You'll have to open it," she encourages me when I see Charlie eyeing the address written in the upper right hand corner. I noticed him squinting to see it better then an expression of shock washes over him.

"What's the matter? Do you know anything about this?" I asked him with an accusing tone and I could see him squirm uncomfortably as he looked back into my eyes.

"No, but I'd recognize that handwriting anywhere. It's from my mother," he confirmed with certainty in his voice and Renée gasped which in turn made me roll my eyes again by her exaggerated response. My grandmother who had been dead for fourteen years had sent me a birthday gift? It was a bit strange to say the least. So much for an eventless birthday.

"Nana Helen? Oh, she adored you, honey! I think of her from time to time. She was a wonderful woman," Renée stated as she graced a hand through my locks and I could see my fathers eyes watering by her comments.

"I remember," I answered her quietly and tugged on the string, feeling more and more intrigued by the peculiar present.

"But how could she have. . ." Now it had sunken in for mom just as it already had for me and Charlie; this wasn't exciting, it was odd. A hand reached out to stop mine as it advanced to pulling off a piece of sticky scotch tape from the wrapping paper.

"Perhaps you should save it for last?" Renée asked and glanced towards Charlie who nods when she placed out two other packages for me on the table. One was bigger and flatter than the other and she pushed the smaller one towards me with the kind of warm smile that only my mother was able to pull off.

I hesitated for a moment since I was so curious to know what was inside Nana's present. After a few seconds I reluctantly let go of the tape and carefully untied the silver string of my mother's present instead, then I unwrapped the purple wrapping paper to find a camera. For a second the shock Nana's gift induced had left me and I tried to show my gratitude towards Renée.

"Oh my God, mom! This is really great. Thank you." I threw myself around her neck and she opened her arms wide before wrapping me up to kiss my forehead.

"Of course, kid. I thought you could finally help me take some selfies for my profile picture on Tinder," she joked and batted her lashes as I scrunched up my nose.

To save Charlie who was getting red as a tomato by our subject, I opened up the second gift which turned out to be a photo printer and a black scrapbook.

"I thought you could make a scrapbook of your graduation," Renée explained her idea behind her gifts and I nodded with a smile since I didn't have the heart to tell her that it wouldn't really be a whole lot to document—definitely not enough to fill a scrapbook.

"Happy birthday, Bells," this time Charlie was the one who saved me from an awkward conversation and handed me a very small box that could fit in the palm of my hand.

It was a moss green gift box with cream colored silky bow on the lid. I pulled on the lid and a suction of air was created inside so I had to tug pretty hard to slowly lift it off. Inside was a car key and I just stared at Charlie, searching his face for a few moments to make sure that this wasn't a joke. Once I had determined that he was serious I reached over to hug him. It didn't come as naturally as it did with mom. Both of us only used one arm to embrace the other in a desultory caress.

"So that's why you drove here," I stated and realized that this was why they had avoided the subject when I asked about it earlier.

"Thank you, this is too much Cha. . . dad!"

Gnawing in the back of my mind was Nana Helens unopened gift. Even if the gifts from my parents had been so amazing I still couldn't shake the thoughts about the mysterious box that she had addressed to me. What did it contain? I should be curious about my first car. What model it was, what year it's from, or even the color of it would be appropriate speculations. But I couldn't focus on anything beside the box.

"Want to take a look at it? It's parked out front and it runs really good. I've had the whole drive here to determine that," Charlie informed me with a chuckle that finally retracted me from cerebrating and I got to my feet clad in navy blue Converse All Stars.

"Sure, I'd love to see it. I just have to go to the bathroom first," I said and didn't have to make an effort to seem cheerful—only to seem present and not deep in thoughts of the one gift I hadn't opened yet.

When I got back to the kitchen after a visit to the ladies room I heard Charlie and Renée talking.

"So you got no idea what's inside? Was it mentioned in Helen's will?" I heard Renée whisper and I stayed quiet behind the wall by the corner of the corridor that led to the kitchen.

"No, she was pretty delusional towards the end but I don't think she'd manage to pull this off in her state."

"She must've arranged this when Bella was a kid then?" Renée tried to make sense of it all and I heard the confusion in her voice.

"Yeah, I suppose she did." Charlie let out a deep sigh since he too were out of answers.

They both jumped a bit when I finally joined them in the kitchen then they flashed me soft smiles.

"Ready?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," I nodded and walked towards the front door.

It was September but the air outside was warm in Phoenix and there were only a few tawny leafs scattered around the cacti on the driveway, that crunched beneath my shoes.

Instantly I saw the faded burnt orange pickup truck when I stepped outside and I immediately fell in love. It matched the vibrant autumnal foliage and I imagined what it used to look like when it had been brand new and shiny red. Just as the leaves it had aged and changed, still I found it so beautiful.

"This is perfect," I said and wanted to sit in the cabin behind the wheel. Mom stayed inside to clear the table but I knew it was a way for her to force me to spend time alone with Charlie. The energy when we were alone was always a bit uncomfortable. This time the unpleasant phase passed us by pretty quickly and the uncomfortable silence between our forced small talk thankfully became somewhat comfortable.

"It has some flaws but Jake rebuilt the engine," Charlie explained after a while of me inspecting the car and now he had my full attention.

"Jake? How is he? I haven't seen him since we were kids."

I pulled on the moderately heavy door handle to get inside and it opened up with a muffled squeak. Charlie joined me in the passenger seat and the first thing I noticed when I got in was the smell of peppermint and tobacco embedded in the brown fabric we sat on.

"Jake is doing okay but he has a lot on his plate. Because of Billy's diabetes he is now in a wheelchair and can't drive, that's why I got you this car. You might recognize it?" He asked and that was the longest sentence I had heard Charlie say in a long time.

"Yeah, I do. Me and Jake used to play in the cargo bed," I said with a faint blush and had to bite my tongue since I just remembered that we weren't allowed back there. The raven haired boy with those lively eyes had persuaded me to break those rules as we played. It was the only fun part about the horrific fishing trips that Charlie dragged me to during the summers when I was a little girl, so with hindsight I regret nothing.

"You did, huh? I might knock some money off the price as a fine for Jakes crime then," Charlie threatens and glared at me playfully and I decided to play along.

"Yeah, but that crime must be time-barred by now because of the statute of limitations. You should know that, sheriff," I defended Jake and myself. Charlie chuckled followed by a slow nod, "guess you're right. Oh, and remember that you have to pump the clutch twice for it to work," he explained further with a smile that reached his eyes, creating fine lines that feathered out towards his temples.

"So what time are you flying home to Forks?" I asked him, not because I wanted him to leave but so I would know how much time we had left together. Suddenly I realized that he wouldn't be flying home.

"I'm not flying home," he answered as if I had read his mind. Him and I would probably go on one of our annual trips to Florida together, we had missed it this summer because of Charlie's work.

"Florida?" I guessed but apparently I hadn't read anyone's mind because he shook his head. My guess was wrong again.

"I'll be staying here to hang out with you while your mom is on that Australian mountain climbing trip. Since I had no vacation this summer I got to pick out two weeks of payed vacation during the fall."

Another birthday surprise. Anyone who knew me also knew how much I loathed surprises.

"That's. . . fun. She's not leaving until Saturday so will you come back then or are you both going to stay here? You and mom, together in the same house? For three days?" I felt the panic growing inside me but Charlie quickly sorted everything out for me.

"She is leaving tonight, didn't she tell you?" I noticed how uncomfortable he was to be the bearer of these news as he fiddled with the glovebox but we both knew that this played out just as Renée had planned it.

"I guess mom wanted it to be a surprise," I sighed and cursed myself under my breath for letting her trick me that easily. Here I had planned for a whole week to myself, and to dump these news on me without a single warning was a new low for her. I had no preparation for a week alone with Charlie in our own house.

"Sorry, I should've had a party horn unfurling right about now," Charlie jokes sarcastically, clearly affected by the tension that was settling in the car.

"It's okay, dad. You know as well as I that this is mom's doing so you don't have to take the blame." I looked into his eyes and hoped he wouldn't take this the wrong way or think I wasn't happy to spend time with him.

"Toot." He made a feeble attempt to do an imitation of a party horn and that was definitely our cue to stop tormenting ourselves and go back inside.

I had to use everything in my power to stop myself from fidgeting with my sleeves or bite my nails by the discomfort of these news while stepping back inside but Nana's gifts occupied a bigger part of my focus.

There were no time for me to open the package because as we got inside Renée was ready with her bags in the hallway with a big sun hat and a pair of sunglasses.

"Australia, here I come. You and Charlie are going to have a great time. I've left some more money in the jar over the refrigerator and added some snacks to the inventory list you had made," she said with a sheepish grin and I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Thanks mom, I'll make sure to buy the snacks you wrote down on that list with the money you left." Organization wasn't her strong side either and to do the grocery shopping had been my duty for over five years and counting. Renée always did the best she could with what she had to make me happy, and for that I loved her endlessly.

"You have to call and send pictures once you've opened this," she patted the mysterious box, "but right now we have to hurry."

I wasn't aware of this flight, otherwise I would've made sure that we had left the house half an hour ago. After two turns in and out we had finally packed all of her stuff in the bed of the truck and were ready to go.

We drove Renée to the airport in my new, old car. All three of us sat in the long front seat, Charlie was driving and I was crammed in the middle.

"You should count yourself lucky that we had the pickup so we could fit all your excessive baggage," Charlie joked bitterly since he was the one carrying most of it, but he wasn't wrong. She had an unnecessarily huge amount of bags, both small and large, filled with things she probably wouldn't even use.

"Excessive? You never know what you're going to need over there," Renée defended her luggage and flung her arms out sideways as she shrugged.

"Are you going to carry all those bags up the mountain?" Charlie asked skeptically and chuckled as she replied with a scoff. This truly made me aware that I was shoved in the middle with nothing to add.

"Charlie, come on. Not even you can have that little faith in me? I'm leaving most of it in the hotel, of course. I'm not camping on the mountain, it's just a day trip," she explained and then we finally arrived at the airport.

After a lot of running and dragging all her baggage for as far as we were allowed, we left her off with a short goodbye filled with hugs, kisses and reassurance that everything would be alright.

The drive home with Charlie was pretty silent but not entirely uncomfortable. We decided on ordering pizza for dinner and I told him I'd take care of the grocery shopping tomorrow after school. Charlie also told me about his plans for the week. It got me in a slightly better mood knowing we wouldn't just sit around the house together. He would go fishing during the days when I was in school then we'd go to the movies and visit the Grand Canyon national park during the weekend.

As soon as we got back home I looked at the package still placed on the kitchen table and it felt as if it was tauntingly staring back at me, begging to be opened.

Renée hadn't cleared the table since she probably had to assemble all her things and take care of the usual 'last-minute-packing.' I handed Charlie a menu that we kept on the refrigerator and asked him to make the call while I was putting the mugs and plates in the sink. Then I cleaned them off thoroughly before placing them in the cupboards, realizing I was stalling time to open up the package since it was just me and Charlie. It felt more intimate when it was just us and I was nervous to find out how he would react to it all. There wasn't a chance in hell that I'd be able to handle the situation if he started crying and trying to comfort him in any given way was out of question.

As usual Charlie and I was on the same page and I saw him picking up the box in the corner of my eye.

"I think you should open this in your room after dinner," he said casually and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It got me impatient, now I could barely wait for the food to arrive so I could be alone in my room with Nana's gift.

"Okay," I said casually, afraid he would change his mind if I added anything else. Then he handed me the box and I walked off to my room to place it on my white desk where it patiently had to wait for two more hours.

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**A/N:**_That's the first chapter of this fanfic and there's more to come, depending on how it'll be received. I haven't been in the fanfic game in a while so please be considerate when leaving reviews. Honesty is something I also admire so tell me what you think so I know how to treat this story. It's created for you readers after all so your opinion matters to me. _

_Heaps of love to y'all and I hope to hear from you very soon! Once I've established the popularity of this fanfic I'll update as often as I see fit._


	2. Second

**_'In Dreams - Ben Howard'_**

_Always a riddle in the world she says_

_Always a riddle inside my head_

_Always a thing to wonder the way we come to be_

_Oh it's a big old place for me, yeah it's a big old world indeed_

_Everyone is killing me and everything conspires_

_Oh in dreams I have watched it spin_

_Seen a violent crack of atoms were all that comes in_

_Oh in dreams I have lain in sin_

_Just to be the cracked and the cared for_

_How can I ask, ask for more?_

_Always a riddle in the world she says_

_Always a riddle inside my head_

_Always a thing to wonder in the way we come to be_

_Oh it's a big old place for me yeah_

_It's a big old world indeed_

_Kicking my heels and wondering how I've been here so long_

_Oh in dreams I have watched it spin_

_Seen a violent crack of atoms were all that comes in_

_Oh in dreams I saw Aesop's kin_

_Just a carcass of a man, I belong inside his skin_

_Mmmm mmmmm mmmm_

_Where to, where to begin?_

_I live alone, I live a lonely life without you_

_And I may be troubled but I'm gracious in defeat_

_Oh I may be troubled but I'm gracious in defeat_

_**A/N: **Thank you all so, so much! The follows, comments, and favorites has really given me a big boost to keep scrawling down my imagination into chapters! I believe I owe you guys a bit of an apology for that cliffhanger. It definitely wasn't meant to tentalize anyone but what's a story without a bit of suspense? Am I right?__ I really hope that the content of the box won't disappoint anyone since it's pretty crucial to the story. As you can see I'm a big fan of the authors notes. The very best part of writing is connecting to my readers. Without you I'd have no reason to write. Cudos to you if you got this far! I'll stop rambling now and let you jump right into the second chapter!_

**Chapter two: Expectations **

When several pizza slices had been eaten, a tall glass of iced coca-cola and a cold beer had been drunken and the entire Pulp Fiction had been watched, I was finally in the privacy of my room.

The only light sources was a white desk lamp, a couple of patchouli and creamy coconut scented candles and the moon that shone in through my window behind the white wooden desk.

Soft light exudes from each of them, all of which casted long shadows across the room.

I had changed into my favorite loose grey t-shirt, a white cotton cardigan that I had tied in the back and a pair of comfy sweatpants and was ultimately prepared to open Nana's gift.

The box still sat on the desk in front of me and with shaking fingers I continued what I had started. Pulling off one piece of sticky scotch tape after the other until I could see a cardboard box beneath the brown paper.

I flipped open the box lid and inside was; a stack of letters, a red leather journal and another distinctly smaller gift box in blue velvet.

The stack contained many aged yellowing envelopes and at the top sat a crisp white envelope in the same standard issue size. They were all bundled in a white lace ribbon with a dried rose tied to an elegant bow in the middle. I instantly detected that the letter at the top was addressed to me in the same handwriting as the package it came in.

After untying the string I held the rose in my hand and wondered whose hands had held it before mine. Then I brought it up to my nose, imagining what it used to smell like when it was fresh and its petals were soft.

For some reason I felt that this rose deserved to have a decent place in my room. Looking around until my eyes landed on a clear plastic pencil holder in front of me. Not perfect but it'd suffice temporarily. With a gentle pull I opened up my desk drawer to pour out a Helix ruler, a few pens and pencils, paper clips, a yellow pair of scissors and a pink eraser from the plastic container so it could act as an improvised vase. Gently I placed the dried rose inside and it made a soft rustle as it settled into its new home without losing a single petal.

Hanging from my wrists was the sleeves of my cardigan that I had unconsciously tugged on until they became flappy. Now I was conscious of what I was doing, still I was tugging on the sleeves again when realizing that there was nothing let for me to do than to open up the first letter and read it. I chose to peruse through the stack of letters to stall it for just a teeny bit longer and was surprised to see an address that I recognized. It was the address of a house down the street from my fathers current home. When Renée and Charlie got married they bought a house down the street from Nana's house, and he still lives there 'til this day. The letters were addressed to the house he had grown up in, my grandmothers old house. I would've grown up in Forks as well if my mother hadn't decided to move here to the sun with me—leaving my father alone to care for Nana who had Alzheimers and grandpa who had severe arthritis.

My fingers followed the outlines of the envelope, making sure not to cut myself on the sharp edges.

With my fingers still trembling I pulled out what seemed to be a birthday card. A 'Me-to-You' card and the Tatty Teddy held a basket of flowers in one paw and a little envelope in the other.

'_Happy Birthday_,' was the caption in golden letters above the teddy bear and the words '_to_ _you_' was spelled across the envelope the grey teddy was holding. I also saw the manufacturing date at the very bottom on the backside; _1995_.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

It was hard to open up the fifth birthday card my Nana had ever given me because my fingers were shaking so bad. To such an extent that I, in fact, had to steady them against the desktop before I could get it open. Then I read every word carefully.

_Happy eighteenth birthday, my dear sweet Bella. _

_Someone told me it was vital that my granddaughter got this journal and these letters on her 18th birthday. Now, I know you think that I didn't really know you since I had Alzheimers __and passed away when you were only four years old but all that and more will be explained in the journal and these letters._

_Love, _

_Nana Helen_

_P.S. Read the journal first. If you haven't yet opened the velvet box then please keep it closed until you find the instructions stating otherwise._

I looked at the letter in my hand and now I was even more perplexed than I was before opening the box. Washing over me was the instinct to open up the velvety box but I obeyed Nana's wishes and put it in my drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. I had to read more! There were books I had thought were impossible to put down but this was a whole different ballpark. Nothing had seemed more intriguing to me than this. Charlie's comment about the handwriting had convinced me from the start that this was truly from Nana Helen.

Perhaps this was caused by her disease? A nonsense letter that she had fathomed up during an episode. There was only one way for me to find out and I immediately went for the journal and opened it up to find a photograph that fell out. Unsuccessfully I tried to catch the spiraling picture as it descended to my fluffy periwinkle rug. When I leaned down to pick it up I saw that it was a photograph of Helen when she was old, holding a baby in her arms. She smiled down at the bundle as if it was the most precious little thing in the whole world and I realized that the baby must be me. Turning the photograph over I saw something written on the back; _Me and Bella, June -92._

It was in fact me, roughly nine months old when the picture was taken. I saw my own chocolate brown eyes looking up at my grandmother with a nearly toothless smile that was decorating my little chubby face.

She had a lock of thin hair hanging over her face, still brown like mine and I realized how alike we were—at least appearance wise. I had no idea what she was like as a person since Charlie rarely spoke of his parents. Now I might have a chance to find out for myself.

After observing the photograph of me and Nana I placed it inside my scrapbook without gluing it down. Just so it would have a safe place to stay while I read the journal.

Then I took a second to admire her handwriting before I started making sense of the beautiful letters written on the page.

**_August 31, 1936 _**

_One lousy day was merely all it took to lose all hope of having a fun first year in high school._

_Rumor has it that Geoffrey Swan is going to leave school to pursuit a job. What are the odds of me being so unlucky? He turned 18 last month and his father, Mr. Swan, thought it was high time that he provided for himself._

_If I could just converse with Mr. Swan eye to eye, I would try to convince him that education leads to more money in the long run. Of course he wouldn't listen to anything a 16 year old girl says but it would be worth a shot if it meant that Geoffrey's prospects of his future would change for the better. I have no doubt that he could amount to anything he desires if he simply applied himself. Anything in the whole country—perhaps in the entire world._

_To have him notice how I feel about him seems inconceivable now. We haven't lost touch even after he went to high school when I was still in junior high. We still have our late night conversations by our bedroom windows sometimes. Last night for example, he told me that his mother had asked him if he wanted to move in to his brothers room now that he has left for college, but Geoffrey declined the offer. At first I thought it was because he wanted his bedroom window towards mine but apparently he just likes the view better from there._

_It was far fetched even from the start but how could I prevent myself from falling for him? How I would be able to withstand the effect he had on me was incomprehensible._

_It's not the fact that he is considerably smarter than the other boys that compels me to seek his interest, or the fact that he is swooningly handsome with those playful green eyes and his thick silky ash brown hair. No. It's the fact that he is provocatively engaging in the way he acts, and speaks, and moves. His entire persona radiates confidence and a charming sense of humor in an otherwise gloomy environment._

_Clark Gable has nothing on Geoffrey Swan, nor does Errol Flynn—or any other movie star for that matter._

_He is the epitome of captivating._

Inserted in the page with a copper paper clip was a black and white picture of grandpa Geoffrey when he was young. He looked just like Charlie in the pictures I had seen of him when he was my age. The pictures I had seen of him in Charlie's house had been in black and white so I had always assumed that he had light brown eyes but apparently they were green. I made a mental note to ask Charlie if he could send some old photos when he got back home to Forks.

It was slightly unusual to read an entire love declaration in a diary page written by my own grandmother. The way she seemed so smitten made me realize why they stayed together all those years, and from what I've heard they showed such love even after they both got sick.

With eager I started reading through the second page.

**_September 1, 1936_**

_A new family, the Cullens, has moved to Forks. All five siblings looks old enough to be working but they are all attending at my school._

_They seem wealthy enough by the looks of the luxurious fabrics they all wear and the fancy vehicles they all drive. Not dumb either—they are all well mannered and seem to get good grades. Besides all the wealth and wit they all seem blessed with amazing genetics even though they are all adopted from different families by Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. My father has met with Mr. Cullen at the hospital. He is also a doctor and she is a housewife with an interest for architecture. Apparently she has bought a piece of land and made the blueprints for a stunning house they'll build just outside of Forks, on the other side of the bridge. On paper they seem to be a perfect household._

_Something is off about them though, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. By the way they look and act they should all be very popular but they didn't want to get familiar with anyone and neither of them seemed thrilled about all the attention they were given on their first day._

_Edward, the middle brother, is in my English class and he would scarcely speak with me during an entire hour, even though we were seated next to each other. _

_I also had lunch with Geoffrey today. It felt unusual to meet during school hours again but he seemed just as happy as I was. At least until I asked him about the Cullens. It was the very first time I had seen him care about me the way he did._

_He told me not to bother about the Cullens and he even called me pretty. Me, pretty! It was as if I had been translocated out of Forks into a fairytale and he was my Prince Charming. A very brusque and upset Prince—but a Prince none the less._

_I believe that his exact words were; "_If Mr. Cullen are too ignorant to see when he is in good company with a pretty lady, and does not care enough to make an effort, it is his loss and you shouldn't be bothered with such an imbecile_."_

_I think Edward hates me and I also think that Geoffrey likes me more than I knew. He even seemed jealous of this new boy and I could certainly imagine why. Edward wasn't an exception to those amazing genes with a sharp jawline that looked as if it could cut through glass, bronze colored hair with a perfect hairline and a muscular yet lanky body with flawless alabaster skin. The pale skin seemed even lighter since his eyes were black as a midnight sky. To me he wasn't much more gorgeous than anybody else and he definitely didn't become more handsome by his curt behavior. Edward is far too polished for my taste. Besides, I only have eyes for Geoffrey. Perhaps it's not too late for us two after all. . ._

Suddenly I wasn't as intrigued as I had been a moment ago. I couldn't really see the reason why I was meant to be reading all of this but it was enjoyable to get a glimpse in the ordinary life of my own grandmother. Love, drama and town gossip wasn't the most exhilarating writing I've ever read, though it was very sweet. It wasn't as peculiar as I had expected it to be, then again; I wasn't sure what I was expecting at all.

**_September 2, 1936_**

_Edward hasn't shown up in school today and for some inexplicable reason it feels like I have something to do with it. I know it's not reasonable but his dark glare still haunts me every time I close my eyes._

_Golden eyes is what all the other strange siblings seem to have in common. I haven't come close enough to Jasper, a blonde curly haired boy who always wears a bothered expression, to confirm whether or not it applies to _all _of them.__ Although three out of five siblings do have this remarkable eye color and they aren't even related. The four siblings that still attend school are apparently couples as well. Alice, a petite girl with a short black pixie cut, is dating Jasper. Rosalie, a tall blonde goddess, is dating the third brother; Emmett. Emmett was the biggest one in his family both in height and width. He was a dark haired guy with an appearance that had me believe that he had been working out every waking day of his life._

_I have geometry with Alice, the youngest sister, she is definitely the strangest of them all but oddly enough she is also the most sociable in the bunch._

I stopped reading and sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Enough about the Cullens already, Nana!" I mumbled quietly. I'd rather read about her homework or chores than the gossip about other students in her school, to be completely honest. The Second World War was incoming in just three years from then but all she addressed was boys, tittle-tattle and handsome looks? I don't care enough to know the eye color of the students in my own school so why would this be of interest to me? And how would it explain that she knows me better than I knew she did? I put down the journal for the night and climbed into bed.

Well, I thought, I'm only a few pages in so I should keep reading tomorrow. Granted that she doesn't continue to mention more eye colors of the rest of her classmates or even the teacher. Then I'm done!

That entire night through I had dreamt that I fumbled through the darkest of night skies but instead of stars it was filled with golden eyes that twinkled against the pitch black background.

The next day I didn't think much of the journal or what I had read inside. I went about my day as I normally did; going to school, going grocery shopping and then taking care of homework after I had prepared the dinner I'd cook for tonight.

Once all the homework was done and dinner practically just needed to be heated in order to be edible, I glanced at the journal. Red and inviting it laid beside me on the desk.

All books was collected and placed in my orange JanSport backpack before I reached for the journal and opened it up. The scent and sound of the leather was calming and I instantly found the page where I had left off.

_**September 3, 1936**_

_Edward didn't show up today either. Something is getting awfully bizarre about this whole thing and the vibes I get from his siblings aren't pleasant. They don't talk to many people and mostly keep to themselves but for some reason they talk to Geoffrey, a lot. Ever since I brought up the Cullens he was resolute to get to the bottom of their strange behavior. While confronting them they must've become friends somehow._

_I can't say I'm surprised that the only boy in this town that are making an effort to get to know even them, is Geoffrey Swan._

_I've mostly kept to myself during lunch since I have a feeling none of the Cullens like me, apart from Alice. She and I aren't seated with each other in geometry but she borrowed me a protractor today and when I gave it back after class she followed me to my locker. _

_Alice is such a quaintrelle and she seemed very kind at first. She was even insisting on giving me the protractor to keep before she left for her next class but then she started talking about Geoffrey. Asking me all these questions; if I fancied him and if I had a close relation to him, and I started to wonder if he had talked about me with them. Did Alice like Geoffrey, perhaps? I was surprised to say the least, especially since I thought she was already in an established relationship with Jasper. _

_It was hard for me to respond since I have nothing compared to her and I can not compete with such beauty. I am taller than her but it isn't to my advantage since I'm not very graceful—next to her I'd be considered ungainly. At last I decided that Geoffrey is worth fighting for, no matter my odds, and told her that I do fancy him. Alice didn't laugh or make any mean remarks, she simply smiled and gave me a hug before she walked away. I have never seen eyes glisten the way hers did. It was a peculiar moment to say the least and I still cannot figure out her intentions._

Then came a gap in the dates. She hadn't written anything for a day and I wondered what could've happened. I felt slightly cruel while wishing for something much more eventful than what was written in her previous entries. Her life wasn't even as simple as my own but she had built up my expectations by saying it was vital for me to have this. It had me anticipating something special and not just the gist of her teenage life.

**_September 5, 1936_**

I've come so close to death that I could taste it on my breath.

_Edward came back to school on Friday but that's not all he did that day. Edward Cullen saved my life in an impossible way. . . _

A knock on my door pulled me out of the shock and I tried to steady my breath. I heard Charlie's voice on the other side of the wooden door over the sound of my heart that was violently booming inside my eardrums.

"Bella? I'm back and I brought home two trouts for dinner tomorrow," he announced and I reluctantly accepted that I would have to continue reading later at bedtime.

* * *

_**A/N: **Dun-dun-duuun! Another cliffhanger! Bear with me guys, everything will be revealed! And for those who might think that the Journal Entries are moving too fast I just want to declare that this story isn't supposed to be focused on Helen, but on Bella. Her entries will be short but concise._

_Hope you enjoyed the read! Please give me a review to let me know what you guys think. Lots of love to every single one of you!_


	3. Third

**_'Yesterday Was Hard On All Of Us - Fink'_**

_Where do we go from here?_

_Where do we go?_

_And is it real or just something we think we know?_

_Where are we going now?_

_Where do we go?_

_Cause if it's the same as yesterday, you know I'm out, just so you know,_

_Because, because our paths they cross,_

_Yesterday was hard on all of us, on all of us,_

_Who can we trust from here?_

_Who can we trust?_

_And are you real or just something from wanderlust?_

_Who can you trust when ears we flower?_

_Who can you trust?_

_From cradle to grave, from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust,_

_Because, because our paths they cross,_

_Yesterday was hard on all of us, on all of us_

_Who can we trust from here?_

_Who can we trust?_

_And are you real or just something from wanderlust?_

_Who can you trust when ears we flower?_

_Who can you trust?_

_From cradle to grave, from ashes to ashes, from dust to dust,_

_Because, because our paths they cross,_

_Yesterday was hard on all of us, on all of us_

**_A/N: _**_To quote a character from my favorite TV series Friends: Oh. My. God! I cannot believe the amount of people that has followed and commented such lovely comments. To be honest I had planned to post this yesterday but when I saw all the response I had received I got hit with a bit of stage fright. In a really good way though! I had to brace myself for a day and then (after several cups of chamomile tea with milk and honey) I finally got the courage to share this third chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it!_

**Chapter three: A price to pay **

While cooking dinner my thoughts were running wild in my mind. I had prepared a lasagna and the only thing left to do was to grate some Gruyère cheese on top and put it inside the preheated oven.

As the oven door slammed shut I blinked; a little skittish from what I'd just read.

_How did that Edward Cullen-guy save Nana's life?_ I tried to occupy my mind by preparing a caprese salad, admiring the juicy blood red tomatoes against the creamy white mozzarella. Some green surroundings was the only thing missing to my artistic salad so I sprinkled on some fresh basil leafs. Perfect.

"This one deserves a prize, doesn't it?" Charlie held up one of his two ugly fishes and I nodded slowly as I scrutinized the trout. Not sure why that particular trout looked any better than the rest.

"I'm sure eating it will be rewarding enough," I answered him and tried to stay present during the entire dinner until I was finally alone in my room again.

_**September 5, 1936**_

_Edward came back to school on Friday but that's not all he did that day. Edward Cullen has saved my life in an impossible way. _

_To write this down might not be a good idea but I have to get it out of my system. It craves to get out in the open somehow, out of my mind before I was going out of my mind. I figured this was the safest alternative._

_First things first; Edward was polite that day before the rescue. He spoke with me during class and even made a couple of appropriate jokes._

_His intentions to converse with me seemed kind but he too seemed awfully interested in Geoffrey. Or rather my feelings for him._

_Continuously he kept making indications for me and Geoff to go on a date which was strange since I wasn't aware that they even knew each other._

_Afterwards Alice came up to me at lunch, saying I shouldn't go to the library. Nonchalantly I waved off her words as none sense. I needed books for the English assignment so I went to the library anyway. With Edward as my partner I really had to keep up but in hindsight I regret not listening to her. _

_Above the library door there was a entry roof in metal that had been packed with snow._

_As I was about to enter the library, the roof cracked from the weight and came tumbling down, about to crush me to pieces._

_But it didn't. Instead someone caught the roof and threw it out of my way before I was hurled to safety in the coldest embrace I've ever experienced. Colder than the snow that was destined to cover me whole._

_Even writing this makes me doubt that it ever happened but Alice's warning, the cold touch, the roof that is still resting too far from where it fell; all proves otherwise._

_Perhaps there is a reason why the Cullens don't get close to people? Or perhaps people don't get close to them? They don't seem dangerous though, I definitely don't feel scared in their presence._

_Edward got to me faster than I thought imaginable and he must be strong to be able to lift an entire entry roof with his bare hands. His eyes had changed too. That dark stare I so vividly remember from the first day I met him was replaced with a soft golden gaze. But I'm not afraid in the sensible way that I should be._

_I might go insane in the process but I will go to the bottom of this—if it's the last thing I do._

I had to read the page three times but I was just as stunned as the first.

For some reason it felt like it was my own life that was at stake and by extension it actually was. Had Nana died that day then I wouldn't exist now. This didn't make any sense. A guy so strong that he could lift an entire entry roof with a heap of snow on top of it all? A girl who warned Helen not to go there? Who practically could predict the future somehow?

Was it just a string of very curious coincidences? It was all too much to take in. So many question marks needed to be straightened out to exclamation points. The guy who she had just declared to be loathing her is now a decent guy—he even saved her life? Charlie's life, and my own.

I thought of the golden eyes she had described and the rest of Edward's features, trying to imagine what he looked like. Suddenly I was much more engaged in the small details. As if his actions had made him become a protagonist in my grandmothers story and not just a classmate fleetingly mentioned in her journal.

**_September 6, 1936_**

•_Golden eyes_

_•Impossible speed and strength_

_•Ice cold skin_

_•Psychic powers; Predictions of the Future_

_•Unusual way of conversing and behaving. (Could it possibly be linked to time traveling?)_

_•None of them are related, except for the Hale's, but they all look similar. (Dr. Carlisle's experiments?)_

On Sunday she had only written a list of what seemed to be clues to the mystery called "the Cullens". Helen's theories were pretty out there to say the least. I couldn't help but to snort as I imagined a crazy doctor preforming experiments on subjects that he referred to as his children. That would've been something I'd read about in the history books by now, had it been true. Or would I?

Nana's words were pulling tricks on me and I felt just as perplexed as she seemed to feel. Perhaps not as intensely but my mind was running wild with theories of my own.

It was time for me to rest and process everything before I continued to read and that night I dreamt of Edward Cullen. Or at least my own fathomed version of him. He came to life in my dreams in a way he couldn't within my conscious mind. I suppose it's because someone like Edward belongs in dreams rather than reality.

There was nothing usual about the next day apart from me being clumsy. No, I was even clumsier than usual. Knocking over my cup of tea on the breakfast table, tripping on my own shoes when jumping down from my truck at the parking lot and dropping all my homework in the corridor. Not a good day for Bella.

When I got home I had fishes to fry; literally. The slippery creatures were salted and seasoned with garlic butter and lemon wedges before I cooked them up in the oven.

When the potatoes were boiling and a mint with dill dressing was resting in the fridge I sat in my quiet room. I had decided that it was time to read some more in the journal before Charlie got back.

**_September 7, 1936_**

_I've heard that nothing comes for free, that everything has its price. But what if the price is more of a win for you than it is for the one who requested it? Is it really a price you're paying then? _

_Edward was in class today and told me that he wanted something in return for saving me. I couldn't say no to him since I practically owe him my life but he craved something so strange. He was practically begging me to go on a date with Geoffrey and it nearly felt like an insult. I'd do anything to go on a date with Geoff but that decision is not entirely up to me and that's exactly what I told Edward. He only laughed at me in return which was such a sudden change from his former pleading words. As if my agreement alone was enough for him, even if the date he asked for would never actually happen. _

_Later at lunchtime I saw him and Geoffrey playfully debating some newly released book by John Steinbeck; In Dubious Battle, as if they were friends. To see them together made me wonder if Geoffrey was aware of what was going on? Did he also wonder at night how their irises could look like melted gold floating around their black pupils? Or was he oblivious to it all like the rest of our school seems to be? No one would believe me but even so; I don't want to tell anyone. It feels wrong since it's not my secret to share. Am I the one who's going crazy while everything around me is normal? _

I felt the heavy toll this situation took on my grandmother through her words and felt sorry for her.

I took out the picture of her holding me as a baby from my scrapbook and gently stroke my thumb along the image of her hair.

"I believe you, Nana," I whispered before placing the photograph back in the scrapbook. Then I continued reading with eager, soaking up her every word like a dry sponge dunked in a bucket of water.

_**September 8, 1936**_

_Today was a sunny day here in Forks and none of the Cullens showed up in school. I wondered if it had something to do with what happened of Friday but later my dad told me that Dr. Carlisle wasn't at the hospital either. Apparently the entire family was hiking and I envisioned the steep mountains Edward would be able to climb with his speed and strength. Something was definitively fishy. _

_Oh, and Geoffrey asked me out on a date! He wished that I would join him on a trip out to La Push and meet his friends tomorrow. Was he the one who had inquired that Edward would beg me to go on a date with him? The timing seemed too perfect for the actions not to be linked to one another. Why would Edward save my life and literally beg me for a favor in return, all for another mans gain? Is Edward really that selfless? Or is he a superhero? Perhaps Geoffrey had payed him and Alice a large sum of money and staged the whole thing? It didn't sound like something he would feel the need to do—or afford for that matter. We were close to each other and all he had to do was ask. Somehow it seemed as if Edward was personally invested in this situation somehow. But how? Why? I am going through semantic satiation for the word; Why. That word has nearly lost all its meaning and sense to me because I've repeated it too frequently. I'm honestly going bonkers. I've completely lost my mind and it is no where to be found but I got a date with the incredible Geoffrey Swan, so who gives a damn?!_

A beaming smile decorated my face even though I already knew the outcome of their romance. I had seen their wedding pictures and Charlie was the living proof that they were together as a product of their marriage.

The way the Cullens seemed so involved threw me off and just like Nana I had a feeling that it was more to the story than what they presented. Perhaps they acted as Geoffrey's posse of wingmen? Then again; _why?_

**_September 9, 1936_**

_I've determined something pretty major today; I'm the most normal person that Geoff knows. The Cullens may be strange but so are his friends in La Push. They behaved more like animals than anything but Geoffrey had a good laugh as they played ball in the sand down by First Beach. All the Quileute boys wore animal skin and odd headpieces in the shape of wolf heads. With ears and everything. It was very fascinating to spend time with them, I must say. Even though Geoffrey was much slower and weaker than the tribe lads, he still seemed to have heaps of fun with them. All of them appeared to be close to Geoffrey and they seemed to have just as much fun with him. How curious. I wondered how he had gotten to know them but they didn't talk much about themselves. Or to each other. Somehow it seemed as if they would rather communicate through nature. Conversing with the mountains and whispering secrets to the sea. _

_The tribe leader, Ephraim Black, was a stoic and calmed boy. Or 'man' would probably be a more appropriate way to address him, even though he's only 18 years old. When he arrived a commotion erupted. Him and Geoffrey had been the closest of friends. Now he stood before us, saying that we had to leave their land immediately and never look back. Apparently it had to do with the fact that Geoffrey was socializing with 'the Cold Ones'. Instantly I thought of the Cullens; Edwards embrace that was colder than snow, but no one explained anything further and I didn't dare to ask. Geoff seemed to be taking those news pretty harsh and wouldn't accept them. Ephraim then ordered the other boys to turn their backs to Geoff and walk straight home. Without argue all the boys did as they were told. Like robots obeying a command._

_My heart broke for Geoffrey as I watched his friends leave. A minute ago they had been sharing laughs and now they wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn't easy to grasp how someone could switch their opinions around so quickly. The rest of the evening I spent trying to cheer him up the best I could. We sat in his garden, protected from the fall rain by the branches of his thriving apple tree. _

_I wanted to ask how he initially got in contact with the Quileutes and what Ephraim meant by 'the Cold Ones'. Instead I ended up distracting him from the subject. We talked about a whole lot of other things, dreams, hopes and plans. _

_Geoff admitted that the reason he enjoyed the view in his room was so that he could look at me before he went to bed every night. Otherwise he couldn't sleep. My heart nearly bursted by this confession._

_Both of us wants to stay in Forks. He wants to become a police officer and have two children; a boy and then a baby girl. _

_I agreed to it all as long as I got to be with him. Me and him got pretty close to one another because of the circumstances and he kissed me underneath that apple tree in his garden. At least something good came out of Ephraim's outburst._

Black. La Push. Quileutes. All these names were familiar. Were the Quileutes connected to the Cullens somehow?

I needed to be in Forks, the town was calling to me through the words in my grandmothers journal.

I wanted to taste the apples from that tree, see the mountains and feel the breeze on my face down by First Beach.

While waiting for Charlie to get home I couldn't continue to read. The urge to be in Forks burned brighter with every word so I closed the journal and tended to the food.

The potatoes were almost done and the fish had another few minutes left so I made a quick salad with radish slices, blanched asparagus and mâche salad. Just in time for the food to be served, Charlie stepped through the front door.

Everything was plated and set on the table to spare us some time since I was so eager to talk to him. I went through the formalities and deplored his unlucky fishing trip rapidly, too rapidly. He wasn't late to notice that something was up, Charlie was a hell of a cop after all.

"Is there something you'd wanna talk about, Bells?" He asked and placed down his cutlery to give me his full attention.

"Uhm, can. . ." the words got lodged in my throat, refusing to come out without a huge effort. I swallowed all care for my own wellbeing and asked to be sent away from my comfortable life to a place I had dreaded. Once I had even made a promise never to return to that town.

"Can I come live with you for my last school year?"

Charlie looked at me as if he had seen a ghost, or as if I had died right in front of him and returned as a ghost myself.

"But Bella, you don't like Forks," he said matter-of-factly. "Why would you want to do that?"

"It was mostly up to the looks of the two gowns. Lincoln High has orange graduation gowns and Forks High has yellow. The difference is minimal but I do like yellow a teeny bit more," I joked, every word was slathered in sarcasm and he chuckled.

"What's the real reason?" He asked and I decided to be honest since I sucked at lying anyway. I wasn't going to mention any of the secrets though, they were only between me and Nana.

"It's the gift from Nana Helen. She's given me a journal from when she was about my age and I feel like I want to be in Forks so I can truly connect to her. Walk down the streets she walked on and visit the places she used to go to. Maybe even meet some of the people she's mentioned."

Charlie raised a brow and shook his head.

"I'm sorry to say it but Forks isn't what it used to be. If those people you're hoping to meet were mentioned back when she was your age then they are most likely at the same place as Nana and Grandpa Geoffrey, by now. Forks Cemetery"

"Forks has barely changed a bit in the passed hundred years or so and there are relatives, you know?" I retorted and he flashed a humble smile towards me. A clue in his soft eyes revealed that he was about to disappoint me drastically.

"How about we head over to Forks for the weekend? You can visit the graveyard and then I can take you to dinner at the local diner? Once that's done you've probably had enough of that town and you'll feel plenty connected to Nana." Then he continued eating his dinner as if that had been the end of our discussion.

"What? No dad, I really do want to get closer to my roots," I looked up at him with begging eyes and couldn't believe the position I was in or what I was about to say. "Closer to your roots."

He begrudgingly searched my face then he drew a deep breath that made the small hairs in his mustache wiggle.

"Okay, we could go there over the weekend. If you're still interested in moving there on Monday, then I'll call Forks High. How's that?" He asked and I couldn't help but to break out in a wide smile.

"Thank you! I've already thought this through. I'll use the money on the fridge to buy some warmer clothes to complement my wardrobe. Could I bring my rug and bedspread? They fit in the bed of the truck," I prompted only to show that I was serious even though it wasn't Monday yet and to make it clear that I was truly going to move in with him. Charlie didn't seem bothered by this, it was the opposite. He even smiled that smile that reached his eyes. Everything about him resembled grandpa Geoffrey except for his eyes, they were exact copies of Helen's chocolate brown hues.

"Sure," he said as if he didn't fully want to believe it.

"But you're telling Renée and that is non-negotiable," he added and we both shared a moment of silence for my scary task in hand. Dinner became a rather pleasant experience after that.

I told him the gist of what was written in Nana's journal and debated whether or not I should mention the Cullens at all. Finally I blurted out that they seemed to have a lot of friends and Charlie nodded. Then he explained that he and Billy became friends because their parents were so close.

"Ephraim?" I asked and Charlie looked at me, wide eyed as a smile curled his lips.

"That's right! They'd known each other since their teens," he elaborated and seemed happily surprised that we now shared a bit of knowledge about our history together.

"Yeah, she and Geoffrey also hung out with a wealthy family called uhm. . ." I felt bad for bringing it up but I was so curious to see if he knew anything about them.

"The Cullens." As soon as the name left my lips Charlie got a peculiar expression on his face.

"The Cullens?," He asked as if the name rang a bell, "I thought they were new in town. I had no idea that they had old relatives from Forks. It could be some other family so I'd have to ask Dr. Carlisle about that when I get home."

A gasp caused a piece of potato to get sucked down the wrong pipe and I began to cough while struggling for air. . .

**_A/N: _**_Thanks for reading and a special thanks to Kat for polishing up my work a bit!_


	4. Fourth

**Ben Howard - The Wolves**

_Falling from high places, falling through lost spaces,_

_Now that we're lonely, now that there's nowhere to go._  
_Watching from both sides, these clock towers burning up,_  
_I lost my time here, I lost my patience with it all._

_And we lost faith, in the arms of love._

_Where you been hiding lately, where you been hiding from the news?_  
_Cause we've been fighting lately, we've been fighting with the wolves._  
_With the wolves. With the wolves._  
_Red tongues and hands._

_Falling from high places, falling through lost spaces,_  
_Now that we're lonely, now that we're so far from home._  
_Watching from both sides, these towers been tumbling down,_  
_I lost my mind here, I lost my patience with the lord._  
_Oh, with the lord_

_And we lost faith, oh in the arms of love_  
_(Love love love)_

_Where you been hiding lately, where you been hiding from the news?_  
_Cause we've been fighting lately, we've been fighting with the wolves._  
_With the wolves. With the wolves._  
_Red tongues and hands._

_Oh, we lost faith in the arms of love._  
_(Love love love love love love)_

_Red tongues and hands._

_**A/N:**Thanks for following, favoriting and commenting on this fanfiction. I love all the positivity I've received since I posted the first chapter. Hope you'll enjoy this next one just as much, it was a very fun chapter to write!_

**Chapter four: Breathtaking beauty**

The Cullens couldn't be in Forks now, could they? They must be so very old by now. . . How could Carlisle even be alive if he was an adoptive parent to teenagers in the thirties? It wasn't possible, yet it couldn't be a coincidence. There couldn't be two doctor Carlisle Cullens that had lived in Forks. It was far too specific but it was more plausible than the other alternative.

I regretted that I acted so confident about moving to Forks since I still had no idea why the Cullens were so mysterious. Nana wrote that they weren't dangerous but she seems to have known little to nothing about them. It's just been her own assumptions that I've read so far. I've also never heard of the Cullens before I got the journal and neither have Charlie—which means that they couldn't have stayed friends for long. What if it turned out that the Cullens actually are dangerous?

"Are you sure you want to live in Forks?" Renée couldn't grasp it and I could hear the sadness in her voice over the phone.

"I'm sure, mom. I've already packed and we're leaving in an hour," I said and besides the fact that I was scared I also felt a tug of guilt for going back to the place she once left. As if saying she was wrong for leaving Forks and Charlie behind. But I've told her that it was the right thing to do for fourteen years so she should be able to handle some minor set back for one single year.

"And you said you had bought new clothes? Water resistant I hope," she teased and I was glad to hear her trying to make an effort to seem happy for me.

"Every item is made of either latex or rubber," I joked.

"Ooh, kinky," she replied and took my joke to a whole new level.

"Mom!" I reprimanded her and we shared a laugh together, "I gotta go. I love you! Be careful, okay?"

"You too. Love you kid!"

_-Click-_

A deep sigh of relief left me once the phone call to mom was taken care of and a little spark of hope lit up inside me. This wasn't scary; it was exciting! Nana lived a very long and happy life and so did Geoff. It's all going to be just fine, I convinced myself and put on my happy face.

Moving from the suburbs in Paradise Valley to the small town of Forks would mean that I was in for huge changes. I'd patiently have to wait and see if that'll be a good or a bad thing.

"I really regret driving the truck here to Arizona now that we gotta drive it all the way back to Forks," Charlie huffed but wasn't at all disappointed by the outcome. He gladly carried my periwinkle rug and all my other luggage outside to load it into the truck. I had updated my wardrobe from head to toe with new clothes that could stand a chance in the oceanic climate.

The drive was much longer than I had anticipated but like some miracle the ancient stereo worked. It filled the road to Forks with classic rock and the music seemed to put Charlie in a good mood. I wasn't opposed to the tunes either. It was a whole lot better than hours of deafening silence, that's for sure.

We made a pit stop at a decent motel for the night and continued the drive early in the morning. Both of us wanted to get to Forks as soon as possible, but for different reasons. During the drive I had slowly seen the drastic changes in nature from dry, sunny deserts to misty, rainy forests.

Forks was wet, green and inviting. It actually enthralled me when I saw the flourishing vegetation of the small town and it's mysteries with the eyes of my grandmother. She had presented a different side of Forks, one I could actually get along with.

On our drive to our house I caught myself checking out the people passing by. I was comparing them to the image I had created of the Cullens in my mind. Unintentionally I was searching for them but couldn't find anyone who was even close to Nana's description. Breathtaking beauty. No one in town had me draw for my breath yet but I wouldn't give up my search.

"Let's head home to unload the truck then we could visit the local restaurant for some grub?" Charlie suggested and my growling stomach was definitely not opposed to his idea. That and the fact that I might run into someone. A golden-eyed stranger, perhaps? Well, not entirely strange since I've met him once upon a dream. Just as Sleeping Beauty met her prince but in this case Edward was the beauty and I was just sleeping. I wondered if he had aged. Was he a wrinkly old man now? These thoughts seemed absurd since he shouldn't even be alive.

We unloaded the truck and he gave me some time to get installed while he unpacked his own luggage. My room looked exactly the same as I remembered it with the rocking chair in the corner, the tilted roof, the cork board above the desk and the same old view towards the road.

The first thing I unpacked was the dried rose, the journal and the letters that I placed on the desk.

I couldn't help but to wonder if the light blue walls and the yellow lace curtains was an attempt to resemble the sky that was never visible here in Forks. It was constantly covered by heavy, grey clouds that threatened with rain at any given moment. The wooden floorboards were cold and creaked with every other step I took so I was glad that I had brought my fluffy rug.

Once the rug was rolled out underneath the desk with Charlie's help and my bed was made with a brand new set of sheets and bedspreads, it was time to have dinner.

No one had any heads up about my arrival so when me and Charlie entered the Carver Cafe everyone seemed happily surprised to see me. The absent daughter to the chief of police that finally had returned—it definitely turned some heads when we sat down to eat. Some people pushed those boundaries even further and came up to greet me, then they asked us a whole lot of questions. Charlie noticed that I grew uncomfortable and after a while he basically had to shoo them away more or less. I also saw him grabbing ahold of an older man to ask if he was aware of any old relatives to the Cullens that had lived in Forks back in the days. The man obviously didn't know anything about the Cullens but he had a lot of narrow minded suspicions and rumors to hand out. I started to regret ever opening my big mouth about them but to my surprise Charlie defended them. He said that the doctor and his wife were too good for this prejudice, blabber mouthed town.

Afterwards Charlie shot me a grin.

"Still sure that you wanna move here?" He asked when we finally were alone and took a bite from his stake that just got served.

"I've been here an hour, dad. It won't be like this for an entire year," I said, referring to the locals curiosity. Even though I said it to assure him that I wanted to stay, I mostly tried to convince myself that it would get better. Or at least that it was worth it, even though I didn't get to see the ones I was hopeful to meet.

None of the people that I was interested in seeing was there, at least I didn't think so. Unless Nana's description didn't match their actual looks. In that case they could've easily passed me by unnoticed.

Tonight we decided that we were going to light candles on the graves and tomorrow we would go to First Beach in La Push. A packed schedule for the weekend which would give me time to adjust to the town and brace myself for my first day of school.

Lanterns shone softly underneath the stars when we got to the graveyard and clouds formed from my warm breath in the cold air.

It felt strange to know that this would be the place where I would rest once I was gone. With Nana, Grandpa and Charlie. Perhaps I'll even have children of my own that would join us later on. Death wasn't something I enjoyed thinking of and neither was the future. Both so unpredictable and terrifyingly fascinating at the same time.

We had bought white lilies that I placed in a stone vase that was in front of their tombstone. It looked so serene in the graveyard as dusk settled and a mist flowed close to the frozen grass, rising higher as time passed. I knew that our flowers wouldn't last the night but Charlie had never placed anything other than white lilies and candles on their grave. He didn't intend to change his routine because of the weather and I respected his devotion to keeping up his traditions.

I was glad to have Nana as company that first night in Forks. With the journal in my lap I was curled up in my bed later that night. My hair was still damp from our visit to the graveyard and I appreciated the warmth underneath the covers.

I read in the journal with eager but the two following weeks were filled with romantic poems and very descriptive stories of the moments that Helen had spent with Geoffrey. It almost felt too private for me to read so I tried to skim through most parts until I found something that didn't strike me as a love declaration.

_**October 1, 1936**_

_The Cullens are all so nice to me now. Ever since I started dating Geoffrey it's as if they have accepted me. Four weeks has passed since the library incident but Edward still won't mention what happened on that Friday. Neither will Alice. I don't bring it up but now and then we share an uncomfortable stare._

_Later this afternoon we had a visit from Ephraim Black. He came with a warning and an excuse. I was so happy to see them get along again. Ephraim said that he acted on impulse and that he actually trusted Geoff. He also came to warn us about getting too close to the Cullens but Geoff brushed it off as nothing. I still wasn't sure if he knew that something wasn't right with the Cullens. I think he does but I don't think he's afraid._

The next morning both me and Charlie skipped breakfast and got into the police car to head down to La Push.

First Beach; the crashing waves was just as magnificent as I had pictured them. Dark and foaming they breathed in and out against the beach.

I wrapped my raincoat closer to my frame so no more dew could slipper in through any openings in my clothes. It was already enough mist clinging to my skin and hair as it was.

"You can taste the salt," I said, referring to the air and squinted up at Charlie while we strolled towards a small gathering of people further down on the beach. Seagulls squawked above us like specks of black and white against the grey sky.

"Yeah, they got winds packed with sodium down here in La Push," he joked. It was a challenge not to trip on the damp beach filled with mischievous stones and pieces of fleet wood hiding here and there underneath the wet sand that covered my purple rain boots.

"No deep breaths for you then." I played along since he had to watch his sodium levels and he chuckled just as we reached up to the group that was sitting beside a campfire. The flames were hypnotizing as they flickered in turquoise and green. They looked like the calm waves of the sea but instead of being aqueous and refreshing they were sparkling and hot.

A raven haired boy that I instantly recognized got to his feet and hurried towards us when we arrived. He was pushing a man wearing a hat with long black hair underneath, across the sand in a wheelchair. It looked heavy but Jacob pushed the chair with his father in it as if it was nothing.

Jake's big copper hand disappeared in a short, sloppy haircut as they stopped in front of us and he looked at me for a moment. Looked at me as if he waited for something to happen.

The anticipating stare caught me off guard and I stumbled. Just as I was about to take a step towards him and offer him my hand the ground disappeared beneath my feet.

Jake caught me before my butt was planted in the wet sand then he finally stopped looking at me with that odd stare.

"Hey," he said and offered me a warm and genuinely friendly smile. I could see a hint of disappointment in his eyes, as if he had been expecting something extraordinary from me. I guess I hadn't grown up the way he had predicted.

"Hi, you've really grown since the last time I saw you," I blurted out and sounded like an old aunt meeting her little nephew after a few years apart and I internally face palmed for embarrassing myself.

"And you're still stuck with two left feet," he joked and I nodded despondently.

"I guess I never outgrew them. I've been considering a foot transplant but my wallet won't allow it," I retorted and the Colgate smile that decorated his face beamed even brighter and warmer than before.

"But you seem to have developed some dry sense of humor instead," he teased and nudged my arm. Through the raincoat I could feel how warm he was by that short insignificant touch.

"And you seem to have developed muscles on top of your muscles!" I exclaimed. Not in a flirtatious way but in a; 'Holy crap, you look like the incredible Hulk,'-kind of way.

"How's the ol' truck treating you on the road? Is she giving you any trouble? In that case, Jake could fix it," Billy cut us off with a question and I politely shook my head.

"No, the truck runs like butter," I answered him and was actually very pleased with my car so far.

We were served hot, spicy vegetable soup that the Quileutes made over the open fire and they all seemed very kind. More kind than most people I had met.

When I had some alone time with Jacob I gathered some courage and took the opportunity to ask him about the Cullens. To my surprise he frowned for a second then he shook his head.

"No, I don't know them personally and I don't want to. Why?" He asked and seemed awfully hostile when I brought up the subject just as his ancestor, Ephraim Black did.

I had to handle this situation with precaution; not revealing any secrets while digging for the right answers.

"I heard Charlie talking about them with one of the locals when we were at Carver Cafe. He was asking if they had old relatives from Forks. Since your tribe has been here for generations I thought you might know something that I could pass on to Charlie," I said and shrugged it off as if I didn't really care myself.

"You could tell him to give it up—they don't have any relatives."

The way he didn't add the fact that they didn't have relatives from Forks and only stated that they didn't have any relatives, _period_, made it seem so definitive. As if neither of them had any relatives at all.

"I thought you said you didn't know them?" I had no idea why, but his attitude towards the Cullens brushed me the wrong way. Perhaps I felt obligated to defend them since they had saved my grandmother? Or was it the fact that Charlie defended them when he spoke with the prejudice people in town that made me feel protective of them as well?

"I don't, but I know _of_ them and they are bad news. Trust me, Bella."

With that said we changed the subject to something lighter; reminiscing about the summers we had spent together as children. Overall it was a great trip but it left me just as confused as I was before, if not more so. Both Ephraim and Jacob gave warnings about the Cullens. Ephraim and our grandparents stayed friends and that's how Charlie met Billy and how I met Jacob. The Blacks should be the obvious alternative to trust in my case—yet I didn't.

On our way home Charlie wanted to stop by the Carver Cafe for the second day in a row but I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I could continue to read in Nana's Journal.

"Why don't you let me do some grocery shopping after school tomorrow and tonight we could just order Chinese food or something?" I asked and could really use some time for myself before my first day of school. What if the Cullens were there? Would I talk to them? Would they talk to me in return if I did?

Charlie agreed to ordering Chinese food and while waiting for the delivery I was glued to the journal in my room.

_**October 2, 1936**_

_We've been invited to dinner at the Cullens house, me and Geoff._

_Edward had offered the invitation to Geoffrey when they were alone and he had accepted on both of our behalf's without hesitation._

_Geoffrey must know that something about them is off. Him and Edward are really close friends by now and he's a very attentive person in general. It cannot have passed him by._

_I trust him with all my heart so if he's not afraid of them then I won't be afraid either!_

Attached to the next page was a picture of Nana and Grandpa with a family of seven gorgeous people. It was staged in a garden in front of a spectacular white house. Grey clouds had formed in the sky but it was as bright as it could get on a usual day in Forks. They looked like old movie stars the lot of them but one guy caught my eyes the most. Edward. I knew it was him by Nana's description and the fact that all the others were paired next to their partners.

A tall boy with curly hair was seated in a chair with a petite girl in his lap, holding a fancy umbrella. Jasper and Alice, I noted.

Behind the chair stood a tall blonde supermodel with her slender arm wrapped around the waist of a guy who could easily pass as her bodyguard. I assumed that it was Emmett and Rosalie. In the middle stood a blonde man and a brunette woman who both had the kindest eyes I had ever seen apart from the Quileutes I had met earlier today. Even in a black and white picture they radiated such warmth and it could only be Carlisle and Esme.

Next to them on their right stood Nana Helen, holding hands with grandpa Geoff and in front of them on a wooden chair, sat Edward.

Geoff had his other hand placed on Edward's shoulder and by that small gesture I could see how close they were.

The way Edward looked straight into the camera made it seem as if his dazzling smile was aimed directly at me through the picture.

My breath hitched and I simply stared at the picture in awe. They sure were breathtakingly beautiful and I was trying to take in every single detail for what felt like only minutes but in reality it was half an hour. The version of Edward that I had fathomed in my wildest dreams couldn't even be compared with the real Edward. He was far more beautiful.

Then I finally placed the photograph in my scrapbook, treating it like a fragile treasure, before I started reading.

**_October 3, 1936_**

_Bella, my sweet Bella. The world is so much bigger than we know._

What?! I looked at the page, compared every letter in my name to those on the previous pages and it was a perfect match. This was purposely written for me at a time when I wasn't even born yet. How could she know that I preferred to be called Bella? Or know my name at all?

Icy shivers shot up and down my spine and something grew inside my throat. Something that threatened to suffocate me but I tried to stay calm and proceeded to read in the journal. It was easier said than done since my vision was completely blurred at the moment. . .

"Who's hungry for some egg rolls?" I heard Charlie shout out from downstairs and a break was just what I needed.

_**A/N:**Thanks for reading! It felt like I revealed a lot but I could also have caused a bunch of questions with this one. Either way I hope it was appreciated and that you'll stick around for the next chapter. Lots of love to every single one of you!_


	5. Fifth

_**Power Over Me - Dermot Kennedy**_

_I wanna be king in your story_

_I wanna know who you are_

_I want your heart to beat for me_

_Oh I-_

_Want you to sing to me softly_

_'Cause then I'm outrunning the dark_

_That's all that love ever taught me_

_Oh I-_

_Call and I'll rush out_

_All out of breath now_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_The only one I know, the only one on my mind_

_You've got that power over me (my my)_

_Got that power over me (my my)_

_You've got that power over me_

_Remember the lake in the moonlight?_

_Remember you shivered and shone?_

_I'll never forget what you looked like_

_On that night_

_But I know that time's gonna take me_

_I know that day's gonna come_

_I just want the devil to hate me_

_Oh I-_

_Call and I'll rush out_

_All out of breath now_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_The only one I know, the only one on my mind_

_You've got that power over me (my my)_

_Got that power over me (my my)_

_You've got that power over me_

_It was all in doubt_

_They were all around_

_So we'll hide away and never tell_

_You decide if darkness knows you well_

_That lesson of love, all that it was_

_I need you to see_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_The only one I know, the only one on my mind_

_You've got that power over me_

_(Woo)_

_I know that I let her down, no_

_Let her down, no_

_You've got that power over me, my my_

_Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes_

_Got that power over me, my my_

_The only one I know, the only one on my mind_

_You've got that power over me_

_**A/N: **This got posted a bit later than I intended since I've had a very busy weekend. I hope it's appreciated either way! And once again; thank you so much for all the follows, favorites and comments on this fanfic! _

**Chapter five: Overwhelming fascination**

"So are you feeling connected to Nana yet?" Charlie asked after our weekend here in town.

I blinked a couple of times and waited for my eyesight to focus on my dad, still baffled by what I had read in the journal.

"Yeah," I answered absentmindedly. _More than you would ever know_, I thought to myself.

"She really did adore you. The night you were born her head was so clear. She was more present than she'd been in years and I've never seen her so happy in my life," he explained and I felt my stomach flipping upside down and turned inside out. Nana must've been waiting for me since way before Charlie was born.

"Well, she was pretty happy when I unexpectedly met Renée on First Beach too," he added and I lit up. I had never heard the story of how my parents met and it seemed as if he was opening up more and more. I took the opportunity and asked him about it, hoping to talk about something other than Nana for a while so that my head wouldn't unexpectedly explode in our little kitchen, covering the yellow cupboards with white matter.

"You met here in Forks?" This would hopefully keep me distracted through dinner as I chomped on an egg roll.

"Yeah. She had been advised to take a trip down to the beach by a couple of strangers she met in town. Adventurous as she was she instantly took the advice to heart and headed down to La Push. There I was, hanging out with Billy, playing football on the beach. He could really use his legs back then and made a complete fool out of me, I'll have you know, but Renée found it charming. We started talking and it was love at first sight. She was different from anyone I'd ever met and vice versa. And do you know who those strangers turned out to be?" He seemed so amazed as he asked me the question. The Cullens came to mind but he had never met them so it couldn't be them.

"Who?" I asked, a bit more intrigued than I intended.

"Nana and Grandpa Geoff."

I had to conceal my shock and was glad my mouth was empty.

"Even in a small town like Forks the odds for that to happen are a bit slim, don't you think?" Charlie spoke with such admiration in his voice and I could see the longing burning in his eyes.

Those were the last names I wanted to hear right now but I couldn't be this selfish. I had to change the subject and talk to him for a little while longer so he wouldn't dwell in the past.

I asked him about calling Forks High School but he said that it was already taken care of. Since I had seemed so determined to stay he didn't want me to fall behind in school because of paperwork. I was welcomed there by tomorrow apparently and I knew I had to finish reading the journal and the letters by then.

I needed to know more about the Cullens and Charlie seemed to be in a better mood now so I quickly ate my dinner and told him that I wanted to sleep early before my first day of school.

Once in my room I threw myself over the journal and curled up in bed, ready to face the answers to all of my tormenting questions.

(_October 3, 1936, continue: _)

_My jaw dropped as I saw the breathtaking house they had somehow managed to build in less than a month._

_They must've had tons of workers there day and night. Even then it seemed impossible._

_The house was three stories tall with a huge porch that wrapped around the front of the house. They had a wall made almost entirely out of glass on the southern side with a view all the way down to the Calawah River._

_The amount of money they must possess is unfathomable because the inside was just as luxurious._

_When we sat down to eat they had only set the table for me and Geoff and I could feel the tension in the room. The story of Hansel and Gretel came to mind but I refused to be scared since Geoff was so calm. He ate with a huge appetite as Carlisle started talking about his family. He told us how they had been living together for a long time but they weren't completely content with their lives. Something was missing. Or rather; someone._

_Then they all quieted down and Geoffrey started talking. He placed down his cutlery and told me that he knew that Edward had saved me. The day Edward had insulted me by ignoring my existence, Geoffrey went looking for him. He was going to tell him off in my honor. To his surprise; Edward was looking for Geoffrey too. Once they found one another, Edward told Geoff the entire truth about them. Now they all thought that I should know the truth as well._

_They revealed the secret about themselves and I've been given the permission to pass it on to you, Bella. Now I know it might seem scary and surreal but please finish reading everything I have to tell you before you make up your mind about this._

_The Cullens are vampires._

She had written the word vampire so beautifully that it sent another shiver up and down my spine. My head was spinning and I caught myself hyperventilating. I knew that this wasn't some cruel prank, it was real. I had seen the pictures, read all the stories and Charlie had vouched for the credibility several times.

Vampires. Why did she share this huge secret with me?

_They aren't regular vampires since they don't feed from humans, instead they kill animals. _

_Alice is clairvoyant and when we met she saw a vision of my granddaughter and Edward together on a meadow. The odds for that to happen were so minimal, close to nonexistent. Edward is telepathic and he saw the vision as well. After he took part of that vision they became more prominent and frequent for Alice. It was because he couldn't forget what he had seen and Edward's will and determination to meet you grew unconsciously. Hadn't it been for the fact that Edward is telepathic and also saw that glimpse of his future, he probably wouldn't have saved me. I'm not sure but I think he__ saved me to save you, Bella. But just as I had told him before when he wanted me to date Geoffrey; it's not entirely up to one person. You have a choice in this too, of course, and he wanted me to be very clear with you on that part. _

_Just as I want to be clear about the fact that you two have my blessing, and Geoffrey's. _

_I know that this is a whole lot to take in, it was the same for me of course but I've taken some time to process it all. To process the fact that I will one day be a grandmother to a beautiful baby girl is utterly complicated at the age of 16, believe me. Not to mention the vampiric parts of it all. I really do hope that you get the chance to exist and defeat your odds with a bit of help. Because you will become a very unique girl, Bella, and the world would be much better off with you in it._

That was the last entry in the journal.

I stared blankly in front of me at the blanket at the end of my bed. The journal was dropped on the floor but I didn't react as it hit the rug with a muffled thud.

My heart was swollen and I could hear it thumping in my ears as tears burned behind my eyes. It wasn't tears of sadness, rather of overwhelming fascination. A mysterious man, or vampire, or both, who had arranged for me to be born out of love? My whole world shifted and it surely felt surreal to say the least. I was the reason Edward befriended Geoffrey and begged for Helen to date him? I thought of when I read that he had saved her and how involved I had felt. How I had imagined my own life being at stake and the gratitude I felt now was incomprehensible.

I flew over the stack of letters and ripped open the one at the top. I cut my fingers on the sharp edges and blood was dripping from my trembling hands on the desk. Normally I would've fainted by the scent of iron that whirled up my nostrils. Right now I was far too curious to be bothered with anything apart from reading to find out more.

_Greetings, dear Helen and Geoffrey,_

_We were all so glad to hear from you again. A little birdie whispered in our ears and revealed that you're soon to be married. This said birdie has offered to plan the wedding and the rest of us will gladly help as well. We won't make a public appearance but we will be there and we're all excited to see you both._

_Love,_

_Carlisle with family_

Out of the letter fell a note in a crisp, white paper.

_Bella, now you can open the velvet box if you haven't already. _

With a blurred sight I dropped the letter, wobbled towards the bathroom and tripped a total of three times before I reached the door.

My bloody fingers clasped at the porcelain sink to keep me stable. Then I turned on the water and let it run for a while so it would turn as cold as it could get. Once the water was cool I placed my hands underneath the stream to wash away all the blood. Then I deliberately splashed it in my face a couple of times. The clear water rinsed my mind and I continued to splash my forehead and cheeks a couple of more times before I dried myself off on a towel, put some bandaids on, and returned to my room.

Instantly I picked up the velvety box once my hands were clean and stroke my thumbs along the edge. I took one deep breath before I slipped a thumb underneath the lid to flip it open.

Inside was a pair of silver hair clips with sapphires attached to a smooth ridge at the top.

I only admired them without picking them up then I turned over the note where Nana had written more.

_Those hair clips was a wedding gift from the Cullens and now I want you to inherit them._

_Love, _

_Helen_

Then I continued reading the letters to see what else was revealed. I wasn't sure if I could handle anymore. I just waited for the moment when it would all be too much for me to deal with but that moment never seemed to come.

_Hello Edward, _

_I'm soon in my forties and I still haven't been able to become pregnant. I'm failing to believe that Alice's vision will come true anymore. How could it since me or Geoffrey seem to be infertile? I don't blame you for getting my hopes up. It has been a dream of mine to have a family with Geoffrey since I was young but I'm begging to lose all my hopes now and simply move on with my life._

_Love,_

_Helen_

_Greetings dear Helen,_

_We will come visit you in secrecy and I will bring Carlisle who might be able to help with a few remedies._

_I'm sorry but you cannot lose your hopes now, Helen. You mustn't! I've already spoken to Geoffrey, he loves you greatly and he will give you all the support you need until we get there._

_Love,_

_Edward with family._

I saw the desperation in Edward's letter and was glad that he kept Nana's spirit up so that she would eventually give birth to Charlie.

_Congratulations, Helen and Geoffrey! _

_You're with child! And it's a healthy baby boy just as you had hoped for._

_Carlisle has offered to deliver the baby that is expected on March first._

_Lots of love to the three of you,_

_Alice with family_

_Thank you all,_

_We have decided to name the baby Charlie. It's similar to Carlisle but with a modern twist, as a tribute for delivering him. We can never thank you enough for everything you've all done for the Swan family. We're eternally grateful!_

_Love,_

_Helen, Geoffrey and baby Charlie_

Then there was a key and another, much longer note from Nana.

_Hello, Bella!_

_This can go either one of two ways; the first outcome of this is that you burn the journal and these letters. After that you continue your life just as before you knew of the Cullens, the best you can. Then there's a second option. An option to get in contact with them if you'd wish to meet them._

_Most likely you're back in Arizona right now, if so you would have to go to Forks._

_If you by the slimmest chance already are in Forks then you have to go down to the docks where you'll find a big empty warehouse. _

_Be there at six pm on Friday the twentieth of September and bring this key that leads to a big padlock to get inside. If that date has already passed within two weeks then be there at any of the two Fridays passed the date at six pm._

_If that Friday has passed more than two weeks ago then be there. . ._

The instructions went on and on but I didn't need them. I was already in Forks and the date hadn't passed me by since I had been glued to the journal since I received it.

It was this Friday, only four and a half days from now.

What was in that warehouse? Why did I have to go all the way down to the docks?

I was content that it was only four days left until Friday but I had no idea what that evening would have in store for me.

That was the very last letter. The riddle called the Cullens was solved—yet I didn't feel satisfied.

I could never burn this journal and continue my life as it was before I knew of the Cullens. Before I knew of Edward. The second option was much more daunting and intriguing.

I looked at the pictures in my scrapbook of Geoffrey, Nana and the Cullens, examining Edward a bit closer, imagining the golden shade of his eyes that weren't visible in the black and white picture.

Why did Edward go through such trouble just so I would exist? Out of everyone in the whole world how could he be so determined to meet me? He didn't even know me, did he? How much of our future had been revealed to him through Alice's visions?

I wanted to see it too! It felt like I was left out of my own life and I almost became jealous. It was an absurd feeling but how could it be anything other than absurd in a situation like this?

The journal suddenly felt so private, it nearly felt dangerous to leave it laying around and I quickly hid furthest back in the bottom drawer to my desk. Even there it felt too exposed so I shoved a white sweatshirt over it. It was the best I could do yet it definitely didn't feel safe there either.

The next morning consisted of me drinking coffee topped with coffee served with another cup of coffee on the side. I couldn't sleep for the life of me but I had to get to school. There was no way that I was going to be late on my first day in a new school. Luckily the adrenaline rush that flowed through me each time I thought of the Cullens that might be there was enough to keep me awake.

I pulled my hood over my head as soon as I stepped out in the misty morning air. With a pinch of sarcasm I imagined that I could drown if I took too deep breaths and hurried into my big truck.

The school was so much smaller than the one in Phoenix and if it hadn't been for the big sign that declared that it was Forks High School, I wouldn't have stopped.

The day trudged on in a boring, monotonous pattern with no Cullens in sight. In each class I studied every single student, not even caring if I came off as strange, but they were nowhere to be found.

Nearly everyone gave me such a warm welcome and a bit too much attention. By lunch I had already become friends with an entire group of people who sat with me in the cafeteria. There was a girl named Jessica who was overly friendly to a point where it almost seemed disingenuous, and a girl named Angela who was less intense but just as kind. Angela seemed a lot more genuine and didn't mind the boys who all swarmed around us like annoying flies.

They asked me all kinds of questions about what it was like in Phoenix and why I moved to Forks but all I could think of was the Cullens. I told them I wanted to get closer to my dad and everyone accepted that answer. When me and Angela finally were alone on our way to the parking lot after getting through the entire day in one piece, I couldn't wait anymore. After I had looked over my shoulder to make sure no one walked behind us, I pulled her even further away from the others to the corner of the main building. Once we were completely out of sight from any of the other students I took a shaking breath and looked into her brown kind eyes behind her foggy glasses.

"What's wrong?" Angela wondered and I instantly noticed how empathetic she was. I bit my lower lip, debating on whether I should keep quiet or not, while I trepidatiously shifted my weight between the balls of my feet clad in boots that squished in the wet grass.

"Uhm, do you know if there are any students named Cullens that attend this school?" I asked and let out my deep breath once I had asked the question. I needed to know if I'd unexpectedly run into them since the lump in my stomach grew to an unbearable size by being so clueless.

"The Cullens?" She asked and I could see in her eyes that she knew of them very well.

"They are on a hiking trip for at least three weeks from what I've heard. They left last Friday," she explained and I wasn't surprised that she knew so much about them. The rumors of the Cullens seemed to spread just as quickly now as Nana had written about them spreading through Forks in the thirties.

"Oh," was all I could answer her and for some reason I felt slightly deflated. Did they leave because they knew I was coming? Everything they did seemed to be connected to me. It couldn't be a coincidence that they left Forks on my birthday, the day I got the journal.

"Do you know them?" Angela asked me in amazement and I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"Well, I guess you could say that they're friends of a friend." I was glad that they did go to school here even if they wouldn't be back for a while. I was also very grateful that I had gotten the right vibes from Angela. She didn't make a super huge deal when I asked her about the Cullens. She simply nodded and with that we were done discussing the subject and she immediately began to hand me some papers.

"These are some notes to the homework that you might need. I'll hand you copies of the rest of my notes tomorrow," she said and flashed me a bashful smile and I smiled back towards her before we both departed towards our cars.

After school I took a trip to the small grocery store, then I cooked and had a quick look at my new homework. Most of it was similar to the work I'd already done back in Arizona and I immediately felt less stressed. Instead of studying I decided to read the journal again. I grabbed my iPod and got dressed in a raincoat and boots before I headed out back towards the forest behind our house with the journal in hand. The rain drizzled lightly as I walked through the wet moss towards a big fallen evergreen that acted as my bench. I leaned my back against the damp, gnarled roots that twisted out from underneath the thick tree trunk and with my feet dangling above the ground I started reading. This time I perceived it all so differently since I had all the answers now and I wondered what would happen on Friday. What was inside that warehouse? The Cullens? Or were they truly on a hiking trip out of town?

A sudden impulse to go there right now and find out what was inside hit me but I had to fight that urge for another three days.

**_A/N:_** _Thanks for reading! Hope you made it through this chapter. All of the questions were answered but now even bigger things awaits Bella. _


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